Shapleigh, Maine

Shapleigh, Maine
Town
Mousam Lake in 1905
Shapleigh, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 43°32′26″N 70°50′53″W / 43.54056°N 70.84806°W / 43.54056; -70.84806Coordinates: 43°32′26″N 70°50′53″W / 43.54056°N 70.84806°W / 43.54056; -70.84806
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	York
Incorporated	1785
Government
• Type	Town Meeting
• Board of Selectmen	Michael S. Perro Bill Hayes Ruth S. Ham
Area[1]
• Total	41.19 sq mi (106.68 km2)
• Land	38.75 sq mi (100.36 km2)
• Water	2.44 sq mi (6.32 km2)  5.92%
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	2,668
• Estimate (2012[3])	2,677
• Density	68.9/sq mi (26.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04076
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-67475
GNIS feature ID	0582722
Website	http://www.shapleigh.net/

Shapleigh, pronounced "SHAP-lee", is a town in York County, Maine, United States which was incorporated as the state's 43rd town in 1785. The population was 2,668 at the 2010 census. Shapleigh is divided into the villages of North Shapleigh, Shapleigh Corner, Ross Corner and Emery Mills. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

History

In 1668, Chief Captain Sunday (or Wesumbe) of the Newichawannock Abenaki tribe deeded Francis Small the Ossipee Tract, which included Cornish, Parsonsfield, Newfield, Limerick, Limington and Shapleigh. Small, a trader from Kittery, then sold a half interest to Major Nicholas Shapleigh of Eliot.^[4] In 1770, heirs discovered the unrecorded deed and made claim. Shapleigh's heirs took Parsonsfield, Shapleigh and one half of Limerick.^[5]

First called Hubbardstown, it was settled in 1772 when Simeon Emery erected a sawmill at the foot of Mousam Pond.^[6] On March 5, 1785, the town was incorporated as Shapleigh, named for its early proprietor.^[7] In 1830, Shapleigh's west half was set off and incorporated as Acton. In 1846, a portion of Shapleigh was annexed by Newfield. Shapleigh annexed an eastern portion of land from Waterboro in 1854.^[8]

There were sawmills in Emery Mills, Shapleigh Corner and North Shapleigh, which also had a woolen textile factory (known as Hargraves Woolen Mill) and leather board factory.^[9] Shapleigh was one of the Maine towns devastated by the Great Fires of 1947.^[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.19 square miles (106.68 km²), of which, 38.75 square miles (100.36 km²) of it is land and 2.44 square miles (6.32 km²) is water.^[1] Shapleigh is drained by the Little Ossipee River and Mousam River. The town's highest elevation is Abbott Mountain, 1063 feet (324 m) above sea level. All of Shapleigh's woodlands are protected by The Nature Conservancy.

The town is served by state routes 11 and 109. It borders Acton to the west, Waterboro to the east, Alfred to the southeast, Newfield to the north, and Sanford to the south.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 2,668 people, 1,072 households, and 766 families residing in the town. The population density was 68.9 inhabitants per square mile (26.6 /km²). There were 2,036 housing units at an average density of 52.5 per square mile (20.3 /km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 1,072 households of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the town was 43.6 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 2,326 people, 912 households, and 673 families residing in the town. The population density was 59.9 people per square mile (23.1/km²). There were 1,813 housing units at an average density of 46.7 per square mile (18.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.41% White, 0.21% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.

There were 912 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,026, and the median income for a family was $45,591. Males had a median income of $34,519 versus $26,739 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,331. About 2.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Shapleigh students attend Shapleigh Memorial School which is a part of Regional School Unit 57. Students in grades 6-8 from Shapleigh attend Massabesic Middle School, and students in grades 9-12 attend Massabesic High School, both of which are in Waterboro.

General information

• One post office: zip code 04076
• Telephone exchanges: 793 and 636
• Two fire stations:
  • Shapleigh Fire Department
  • Ross Corner Fire Department

Sites of interest

• Acton-Shapleigh Historical Society & Museum
• Shapleigh Woods-Waterboro Barrens
• Oakhill Alpaca Farm

Notable people

• Frank Abbott, dentist, author, president of the American Dental Association (1888)
• Joshua Maria Young, bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania

References

External links

• Town of Shapleigh, Maine
• Shapleigh Community Library
• Contact Information for Shapleigh, Maine
• City data profile
• Epodunk town profile

v t e Municipalities and communities of York County, Maine, United States County seat: Alfred Cities Biddeford Saco Sanford Towns Acton Alfred Arundel Berwick Buxton Cornish Dayton Eliot Hollis Kennebunk Kennebunkport Kittery Lebanon Limerick Limington Lyman Newfield N.Berwick Ogunquit Old Orchard Beach Parsonsfield Shapleigh S.Berwick Waterboro Wells York CDPs Berwick Cape Neddick Kennebunk Kennebunkport Kittery Kittery Point Lake Arrowhead North Berwick Sanford South Eliot South Sanford Springvale West K York Harbor Other villages Bald Head Cape Porpoise Ocean Park York Beach York Cliffs